


only when it's you and me

by halftheway



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Caleb Widogast Deserves Nice Things, F/M, Fluff, Sharing a Bed, i am so pleased that's a tag, i know i just posted molly/caleb two days ago but here we are, this is just very soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21867265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halftheway/pseuds/halftheway
Summary: He calls her ‘blueberry’ sometimes, when she can hear, and softer, sweeter things in Zemnian when she can’t. It’s easier to tell her how much he cares about her when she doesn’t understand, but he doesn’t know why he can’t say it aloud, or anywhere but here, safe under the covers while she sleeps on his chest.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 11
Kudos: 107





	only when it's you and me

**Author's Note:**

> i call this one 'i have no self control', please enjoy

Caleb doesn’t feel like he’s enough, sometimes. It’s hard to feel he matches up with everyone else in the Nein, especially Jester. He never knows what to do with her, there’s so much of her; she’s loud and powerful and creative and beautiful and- Caleb will run out of adjectives before he could ever describe her, and even then he doubts he’ll be able to. He is none of those things, for certain, but somehow, she loves him. And despite himself, he loves her.

How could he not? She’s just… everything, and as soon as he thinks he’s adjusted, she’ll do something that leaves him dizzy. Earlier today, they’d come into town after weeks of travel, and he’d mentioned wanting to look around to see if there were any bookstores he’d be able to browse. Jester had volunteered to go with him, skipping beside him as they made their way, happily chattering about what she planned on drawing in her sketchbook when they returned to their inn. She’d stopped in the middle of the street with a gasp, and for a moment Caleb’s guard went up, only relaxing when he saw she was pointing at a patch of wildflowers growing on the side of the road.

He’d watched, amused, as she stooped to the ground, carefully arranging her skirt to avoid the dirt, and began picking a few flowers, talking to herself about which were the prettiest. She’d stood up suddenly, turning to Caleb and leaning in. Before he’d had a chance to tense, she stopped, tucking a flower behind his ear, careful not to touch him without asking. She smiled at him so sweetly hhis heart felt like it might burst before returning to the flowers.

He calls her ‘blueberry’ sometimes, when she can hear, and softer, sweeter things in Zemnian when she can’t. It’s easier to tell her how much he cares about her when she doesn’t understand, but he doesn’t know why he can’t say it aloud, or anywhere but here, safe under the covers while she sleeps on his chest. She’s wearing a faded pink nightgown that’s just a touch too big, her outrageously fuzzy slippers (when she’d bought them, she’d made everyone feel how soft they were and wouldn’t let up until they’d all complimented them to her satisfaction) on the floor beside the bed, her jewelry neatly placed on the nightstand atop her sketchbook.

Caleb begins to gently unwind her hair from the braids she’d forgotten to take out before she fell asleep, and she stirs a little, blinking up at him and giving him a sleepy smile.

“Hi, Caleb,” she says in that singsong way she has, even half-asleep like this.

For whatever reason, Caleb feels a little braver now, and replies with, “Hello,  _ liebling _ .” as he gives her a smile of her own.

Her nose scrunches up and she laughs like she does every time she makes him smile. “What does  leeeb-ling mean?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he tells her, smoothing a stray piece of her fringe out of her eyes. “Go back to sleep.”

Jester nods. “I will, but first-” She sits up, balancing herself on his thighs with a hand on his chest. “Help me take my hair down, okay?”

He agrees- he’s helpless to deny her anything, at this point- carefully returning to his task, and they work together in the quiet like that, until all of the little braids and beads are out of her hair.

She smiles at him again, her tail swishing behind her, and says, “Hey Caleb. You should totally kiss me.”

“Is that so?”

She nods earnestly. “Mmhm.”

He waits, because he enjoys playing with her, when the mood strikes him.

Jester pouts a little. “Caaa-leb,” she whines, and he can’t help the grin tugging at his mouth. She starts wriggling around, bouncing, chanting “Kiss me kiss me kiss me kiss me-"

Caleb laughs, rests his hands on her shoulders to still her. “You are very cute when you’re impatient,” he tells her. She sticks her tongue out at him and resumes her pouting. When Caleb finally kisses her she’s smiling into it too much for it to be proper, and her too-sharp teeth are scraping on Caleb’s lip, and it’s perfect.

After a few minutes she’s calmed down, settling back down against his chest. Jester always lays on her stomach on nights like this, careful to keep her horns out of the way, and she always tells him goodnight, and that she loves him. Tonight the admission comes as her eyes are closed and her breath is evening out; she says it quickly, like she didn’t want to forget. Caleb waits.

He lets the time pass until he’s sure she’s asleep, and whispers, “I love you” in between breaths.

Evidently, Jester has only been feigning sleep, because a big shit-eating grin spreads across her face. She doesn’t say a word, though, for which Caleb is thankful. He heaves an exaggerated sigh and she giggles a bit, drifting off for real this time.

“I love you,” he says again slowly, and gods, does he.


End file.
